His father, Jess Owen, is a British country-western singer. Failed to get into the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art on his first try; worked as a house cleaner for two years until he successfully won admittance. Made professional stage debut as part of the Young Vic company where he met his soon-to-be wife in a production of Romeo and Juliet . Played Ross Tanner, a cop suffering from a virus that affects his vision, in the British series Second Sight . Breakthrough movie role in 1998's Croupier … Show more was a flop in England but a sleeper art house hit the following year in the U.S. Featured in a series of eight short films titled The Hire, produced by BMW and helmed by such international directors as Guy Ritchie, John Woo, Ang Lee and Wong Kar-wai. Had an uncredited in-joke cameo as Secret Agent 006 in the Steve Martin remake of The Pink Panther . Owen was for a time being talked about as the next James Bond in Casino Royale (a part that went to Daniel Craig). Promoted Lancôme grooming products for men in spring 2007. Recreated on-screen chemistry with Closer costar Julia Roberts five years later in the romantic spy thriller Duplicity . ~ Rovi

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